UH Med Now

In one year, the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) medical school and its academic partner medical centers contributed $197 million to the economy of our State, according to an analysis released in 2018 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

The organization said it is important to understand that the medical school and its teaching partners — beyond training the next generation of physicians at both the undergraduate and graduate levels — are also important economic engines for our community.

Specifically, the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and its teaching hospital partners created a total of 2,667 Hawaiʻi jobs. That number includes 1,839 direct jobs, another 365 jobs supported by the money spent on computer supplies, public outreach campaigns, medical devices or lab equipment; and the equivalent of an additional 463 jobs fueled by the cash spent by school and medical center employees at retail and food stories and on entertainment and other expenses.

“Most people understand that JABSOM and its academic medical center partners are in the vital business of educating tomorrow’s doc­tors, providing cutting-edge patient care, and conducting groundbreaking research,” said Jerris Hedges, MD, JABSOM Dean. “But the medical school and its teaching hospitals statewide are important economic contributors to Hawaiʻi, too.”

Additional economic stimulus information
Spending by the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and its partner teaching hospitals in Hawaiʻi represented about $140.45 per state resident, according to the study conducted for AAMC by RTI International during 2017. The report examined the economic impact of medical schools and teaching hospitals AAMC represents in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The AAMC, to which JABSOM and other U.S. medical schools belong, said income generated by JABSOM research totaled more than $16 million in Hawaiʻi according to the AAMC.

“This analysis shows just how vital medical schools are as economic engines at the local, state, and national levels in generating jobs, paying wages, and supporting business and community development opportunities,” said Darrell G. Kirch, MD, AAMC president and CEO. “These data show that medical schools and teaching hospitals are a significant contributor to the national economy, roughly equal in scope to the transportation and warehousing sector or accommodation and food services industries.”

JABSOM very STRONG in key areas
The AAMC data this year also shows that among all accredited medical schools in the U.S. and Canada, the UH medical school is:

In the top 25% for the percentage of its graduates who are practicing medicine here in Hawaiʻi

In the top 10% of schools whose graduates are now practicing in primary care medicine (front-line treatment of patients)

In the top 25% of schools whose graduates (currently in residency training) plan to practice in Family Medicine

Is the leader in producing Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander physicians

In the top 10% of schools for the proportion of women faculty members

In the top 25% of schools for basic science instruction with clinical relevance, student satisfaction and metrics related to diversity, cultural awareness, and health disparities